Delhi: Shehla Rashid, a JNU student leader has started an online petition on change.org addressed to newspaper, Times of India to issue front page apology for ‘fake news’ about missing student Najeeb.

The newspaper on Tuesday, March 21 had carried a front page story about missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, claiming that he was an ISIS (Daesh) sympathizer.

“The basis of the story, as claimed by the reporter, Raj Shekhar Jha, was Najeeb Ahmed’s Google search history, obtained by the Delhi Police which is investigating the matter,”reads the petition.

The Delhi Police had promptly responded to this story by holding a press in which its chief spokesperson had negated the newspaper claims.

“It must be made clear that Najeeb is a victim of violence by ABVP members and ensuing negligence on part of Delhi Police, not the perpetrator, not the aggressor, not the terrorist. Instead, he was terrorized. Attempts to malign his character and portray him as an ISIS terrorist are part of a larger project of negative depiction of Muslims in mainstream media,” the petition reads.

The petition has made following demands:

1) Times of India must carry a generously worded, front page apology and clarification of the entire matter as soon as possible.

2) Times of India must sack Raj Shekhar Jha, and any other people involved, for using the names of Delhi Police and Times of India for false propaganda.

3) All the media outlets which have reported the matter based on TOI’s report must immediately clarify the matter, without ambiguity and sensationalism, and give prominent space to the Delhi Police’s clarification in the matter.

4) Times of India must adequately compensate the family of Najeeb Ahmed for the mental trauma, stigma and loss of reputation that they have suffered in the process.

The petition has been signed by 2,511 supporters.

It is pertinent to mention here that, Najeeb Ahmad, a JNU student has reportedly gone missing since Saturday, October 5, 2016 following a brawl with ABVP cadres in the campus during the campaigning for hostel elections.

Ahmed, a 27-year-old resident of Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, was in his room in the Mahi-Mandvi hostel when a few members of ABVP came for campaigning for the hostel elections. A scuffle broke out between Ahmad and the students and the ABVP students beat up Ahmad, who had moved into the hostel only a few weeks ago.